Adelaide's Point of View

"Addy."

"Calum."

"Can I please come inside?" Calum pleaded. His hands were stuffed inside the pockets of his khaki shorts and his hair looked more ruffled than ever.

I didn't even think about what Michael told me earlier today, I just nodded, swiftly opening the door to allow entrance. He plopped down onto my sofa, patting the seat next to him, his eyes practically begging me to join him. I waddled over to my neighbor, sinking deeper into the couch.

"I'm sorry, Adelaide. I truly am. I know I'm the one who kissed you which probably gave you the wrong idea and that's why you were so confused when I freaked out. But, I'm uh, um just nervous. It's been awhile since I've kissed, erm, anyone so I was rusty."

My eyes narrowed at him. I could tell by his antsy behavior and stuttering that he wasn't being honest with me. I placed a gentle hand on his thigh. "Calum. Tell me the truth."

He stared at be for awhile before releasing a sigh. "Fine. I'm just honestly not ready for a relationship again. The last one I was in was three years ago, and it ended so badly. I'm scared to get my heart broken again, okay? It terrifies me."

I smiled sheepishly at him, scooting a bit closer. "It was just a kiss, Cal. It's not like I proposed to you."

He groaned under his breath. "But kissing always leads to relationships! I mean just look at us right now, it hasn't even been a full week and we already have extreme sexual tension. This is not what I wanted. I just got caught up in the moment and you're beautiful and funny and I kissed you but I shouldn't have, okay? Not that you're a bad kisser or anything, just I don't want to ruin this friendship already. I haven't-"

Calum stopped himself, his eyes flickering down to his feet. That was probably the most emotions that Calum had ever described to me, but I wanted him to continue. His thoughts weren't finished yet. I rubbed his thigh in a comforting motion. "Hey, it's okay. You can keep going. I don't mind. I'm not going to judge you. I actually like when you open like this."

"I don't ever share this much with people. Especially people I just met," He stated, shaking his head. We sat in silence momentarily. He exhaled a deep breath. "I don't get why I'm so comfortable with you, Addy. We just like click. Not many people can make me laugh, especially not anymore, and I always seem to be laughing around you. It just doesn't make sense. But I don't want to lose it. That's why I stopped kissing you, okay? I was scared that if something happened you would leave me, just like everyone else. I need a friend like you, Addy."

I instantly wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him in for a deep embrace. His toned arms enveloped my waist, pulling me down on top of him. His touch made me feel safe and warm inside, despite the way the warnings about him would scare me off. Calum and I were magnets, always being drawn towards each other.

I pushed myself up, leaning on my elbows so I could have a view of his face. "Maybe I didn't want to kiss you anyways. You're actually really ugly."

"What?" He barked, pretending to be offended. I knew that he was aware of my sarcasm, especially considering Calum was one of the hottest boys on the face of the earth. "You did not just say that."

"But I did," I replied with a smirk, winking at the dark haired boy underneath me.

Immediately, his hands began tickling my sides, making me screech and laugh all in once. I desperately tried to break free of his grasp, but instead I just flopped around as he chuckled at my jumpy behavior, his hands fluttering around my skin.

"Oh my God, Calum! Stop!" I screamed while still cracking up. He shook his head, continuing to tickle me, making his way up to my armpits. "I was just kidding."

Calum's hands dropped from my waist, sending me down onto his chest again. I rolled my eyes at his childish behavior, making an adorable giggle escape his lips. I viewed the way his eyes crinkled up when he was genuinely happy, and the beads of sweat that had formed on the front of his forehead. His cheekbones seemed even more chiseled today, and I had the urge to kiss him again, just merely due to the fact that he was so damn attractive. But I understood his reasoning as to why we couldn't kiss each other. I didn't want to lose Calum either. Sure, I had Michael and Lucy, but I didn't get the same feeling when I was hanging out with them. "You're not ugly at all."

"I wish I could say the same thing to you, babe," He joked, making the two of us burst into a fit of laughter again. I smacked his broad chest gently and he just grinned, placing his hands onto my lower back, dangerously close to my butt. "Just messing with you. You're honestly one of the most beautiful girls in the world, Addy."

"Thanks, Cal," I said graciously, beaming down at him with delight. "Would you like to do something?"

"Why? Isn't laying on top of me loads of fun?" Calum asked sarcastically, making me giggle. "Yeah, I would love to do something. What do you have in mind?"

I chewed down on my lip. "Well, I still haven't swam in the ocean yet."

He instantly propped himself up, lifting me off of the sofa with him. I clung my legs around his waist as he carried me with ease, tugging me outside. "You can't live here and not swim in the ocean. It's the law. You're going in."

"I have to get changed first!" I protested withexuberance, not wanting to ruin my new clothes. 

Calum placed my feet down on the rough sand. It was quite warm due to the constant sunlight on them, and my bare feet were burning up by the contact. "Well considering I don't feel like going into my house, I'm going in my underwear and so are you."

"You just want to see me half naked," I accused, rolling my eyes at his typical boy behavior.

He chuckled loudly. "That is true. But there really is no difference between your bikini and your bra and panties."

I shuddered, feeling a cringe run through me. Certain words just made my ears want to puke. Panties was one of those words. It felt like an old lady term, like something my Grandma would wear to bed. "Calum, do not say that word."

"What? Panties?" He inquired as he pulled his shirt over his head, revealing a lovely set of abs on the surface of his tan skin. "Panties. Panties. Panties. Panites. Panties."

I pushed his bare stomach away from me before clamping my hands over my ears to block out the sound, much like a child would do when being teased. His laugh was loud enough to be heard through my covered eardrums, and his arms enveloped me in for another hug. "I'll stop saying panties if you get in the water."

"Fine," I compromised, lifting my clothing over my head and sliding my jeans down my legs. I felt overexposed, especially as Calum's eyes scanned my body like a price gun, his jaw hanging slightly open. "Calum! Stop staring at me!"

He jumped, startled by my yelling. "Uh, sorry," He stammered, grasping my hand and dashing towards the ocean.

The waters were warmer than I anticipated. The constant crashing waves was soothing, the way it bobbed my body up and down. Saltiness crept through my teeth each time my mouth opened. The water washing against my skin felt purifying and serene. I glimpsed up at Calum. He was floating on his back, making air bubbles seep into his boxers. I swam over to him slowly, resting my elbows on his chest as I treaded in the shallow water. "You better not push me under, Addy."

"I won't."

Seconds later, I dug my elbows deeper into his chest, breaking his floatation and causing his head to go under the water. He resurfaced in record speed, glancing at me with a look of shock and betrayal. I simply smirked, paddling away before he could do the same to me. I made it back to shore before my neighbor could catch me and dunk me under the water, but Calum was close behind, and both of his arms wrapped around my waist, retreating me back into the water.

Surpisingly, he didn't throw me into the ocean like I expected. He merely spinned me around, our faces inches from each other. I moved my hands up his musclular stomach to behind his neck, locking my fingers together. "Just do it. I'm not going to leave you," I mumbled.

That sentence was all Calum needed. His lips were pressed against mine right away and this time he deepened the kiss, making us have an intense make out session in the middle of the day in public. Luckily the waves were covering my nearly nude body as his hands traveled from my back to my butt. His touch was firey, yet gentle, and I never wanted this sensation to end.

He dettached our lips and began to plant kisses down my neck as my fingers ran through his soaking wet hair. "Cal," I quietly said, making him stop and peck my lips again.

When our intimate moment finally ended, we were both panting and breathless, our hearts beating a mile per minute. I smiled up at him with complete adoration. "You sure as hell are not rusty."

"Neither are you," Calum told me, arching his eyebrows up. "But I am extremely hungry."

"Let's go get some food then?" I suggested, intertwining our fingers together and leaving the crashing waves behind us. He bent down to pick up our attire resting on the beach, and we headed into my kitchen.

I got out plush towels from the bathroom, handing him one as he took a seat at the barstool behind the island in the kitchen. I tucked my towel around my body and peered through my pantry, only finding some crackers and a bag of chips. I set them out in front of him, along with a paper plate. "Sorry, this is like all I have. I haven't gone grocery shopping once since I've moved in. It's kind of hard without a car."

He laughed, pinching the plastic of the bag of chips and ripping it apart, stuffing a few of the crumbling potato snack into his mouth. The mouth that I had just tasted. It was weird that Michael was so weary about Calum. I think this boy in front of me is just misunderstood. People must just be judging his character based on first impression, because when I first saw Calum screaming at me, I would have thought he was an asshole too. But once you dig deeper past the exterior, he is so sweet. He just doesn't seem used to others giving him a chance.

"Addy?" Calum called, bringing my attention back to my surroundings. "I still want to be just friends. It's not that I don't like you in that way, it's just that again, I don't want to lose someone like you. We can still kiss and stuff but I just don't want it to be an everyday occurance."

"Aw, you're too sweet. Okay. I like that idea," I agreed. I didn't want to stop hanging out with Calum. I just forget about everything when I'm with him. I didn't want a relationship right now either, I was just settling in to my new house.

The ringing of a cell phone interrupted us. I thought it was my parents calling at first, but the unfamiliar tone made it clear it was Calum's. He picked it up off of the counter and pressed it to his ear. "What?" He snapped into the reciever, making me jump. "No I don't need anything. Wait, actually, could you take my friend Addy with you? She doesn't have a car." I tilted my head in confusion, unaware of who he was talking to. "Yes Mali, just friends. Stop creeping on me through the window!" He chuckled. "Okay thanks. And yeah I love you too, bye."

Calum pressed the 'End' button, turning the screen black again. He glanced up at me, a small blush on his cheeks. "That was my sister," He explained, ending my confusion on who he said he loved. "She's going grocery shopping and she's taking you with her."

"What? I don't even know her! Calum please don't drag me into some family banter," I whined.

"She's not intimadating or anything. You'll like her, Ad. Go get dressed she'll be here in like ten minutes."

"Ten minutes!" I exclaimed, making him chuckle. I sprinted up the staircase as quickly as possibly and leaping into the spare bedroom, where all of my furniture currently resides.

--

"So you're the girl who was just making out with my brother in the ocean," Mali Koa said with a bit of ice in her tone as soon as Calum finished our introductions and practically dragged me into her car. A pair of sunglasses rested on her nose, not providing me with enough information to read her body language. Her freshly manicured nails were gripping onto the steering wheel tightly.

I blushed profusely, a bad habit of mine. It made my embarassment show on display all the time. "Oh God, you saw that? Um yeah, that was me. I promise I'm not super promiscuous or anything."

She chuckled loudly, which I had to admit I was taken aback by. "I know, I wasn't saying that, I was just giving you a hard time. Calum has been so happy lately and I honestly think it's because of you."

I felt a grin creep onto my lips. "Really?"

"Really. There was an incident a few years ago that changed Calum completely. But the other day he was singing and dancing in his room. Singing!" Mali cheered, making us both giggle. "He told me a lot about you already too. It's adorable. I just want you to know that he can get pretty difficult and distant sometimes. Just don't ditch him because of that. Promise me you won't leave him, Addy? It will only make things worse."

"I promise," I said confidently. I needed Calum just as much as he needed me. And for that reason, I wouldn't leave his side when we were both in the dark.

She smiled graciously as she flicked her blinker. "He's been through a lot but he is the sweetest and strongest boy I know. Just stick with him through the hard times, Addy."

I nodded my head. "I will. Trust me. He's my only true friend I have here."

"Friends my butt," Mali teased, turning up the radio slightly. "Sorry for all this over protective sister talk. Why don't you tell me all about America?"

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Author's Note: Sooo yeah where do I sign up to get my own Calum Hood???????

Mali is saying he's been through a lot. What do you think he's been through? Leave your predictions in the comments if you'd like :)

Thank you sooooo much for reading! It means the world to me! I really really really really hope you're enjoying this story because I'm really proud of it and proud of where it's going. I love writing an a.u.

Thanks again for reading, voting, commenting, saving to your library! I truly and honestly appreciate it so much xx

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Ok i love you lots, have a great day! Don't forget to smile today sugarplums

dedicated to cuddlymalik bc her comments make my day and she was tweeting me the other day like aw ily sweetheart